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As we shared in our blog “Bringing Holiday Cheer”, Christmas is a great time to get new people started in nursing home ministry. During the holidays, many residents are especially lonely. If you are a volunteer, particularly a care team leader, this is an opportunity to invite someone to visit with you to befriend a …

We hear too much bad news every day – terrorism, war, crimes and conflict of all kinds… so I wanted to share some really good news with you!

God is doing some amazingly great things through His servants – right where we live!

[blockquote size=”full” align=”left” byline=”Dave Sauer”] My daughter and her eight children decided to do a service project at their local nursing home. The kids weren’t sure what they could do there, but their mother told them that they could entertain the residents just by being themselves. They gathered residents at the large windows overlooking the …

Singing together is a great way to build a sense of belonging and togetherness. We each contribute our voices and our percussion instruments to “make a joyful noise to the Lord.” It always feels like a celebration there in the normally-quiet evenings in the nursing home. When we finish, there is usually spontaneous applause and lots of laughter. Faces all around the room are beaming. Before we leave, we go around and thank each resident for their help in making our choir and orchestra such a special one.

What a wonderful blessing it is for residents to receive a visit from a volunteer who brings a pet along. A visit from a cute or cuddly animal is a delight to many residents and a welcome novelty in the sameness of their days filled with loneliness and pain and boredom.

When we prepare to give a gift to a loved one, we want so much to please them. We ponder what they would like, what they enjoy, what we know is meaningful to them. We think of what they need and appreciate and what might bring them joy. When I think about what I could …